Referring to FIG. 1, an optical connector of this type comprises a generally tubular housing comprising a front housing 62, a ferrule 70 disposed in the housing so as to be slidable in axial directions A and holding a single-core optical fiber 100, and a coil spring 91 disposed behind the ferrule 70 in the housing and serving to press the ferrule 70, abutting a ferrule of a mating optical connector (not illustrated), against the ferrule of the mating optical connector. The optical fiber 100 led out of the rear of the ferrule 70 passes through the coil spring 91, i.e. its coil. In other words, the coil spring 91 is loosely fitted around the optical fiber 100.
Referring to FIG. 2, another optical connector of this type comprises a generally tubular housing 60′, a ferrule 70′ disposed in the housing 60′ so as to be slidable in axial directions A and holding a multi-core optical fiber 100′, and a coil spring 91′ disposed behind the ferrule 70′ in the housing 60′ and serving to press the ferrule 70′, abutting a ferrule of a mating optical connector, against the ferrule of the mating optical connector. The optical fiber 100′ led out of the rear of the ferrule 70′ passes through the coil spring 91′, i.e. its coil. In other words, the coil spring 91′ is loosely fitted around the optical fiber 100′.
Optical connectors of this type, other than those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, are also disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2. The optical connectors disclosed in these documents also have, as a biasing means for a ferrule, a coil spring loosely fitted around an optical fiber led out of the rear of the ferrule.